Nothing will stop me from reassembling the life that went terribly wrong.
Not the law.
Not our enemies.
Not even Maybe Quinn.

The gorgeous, quarrelsome journalist shouldn’t have meddled.
I shouldn’t have let her stay.
But she’s hiding something in those deceptive blue eyes.
Something deeper than her thirst for a news story.

I make a deal with her to buy time.
To unravel her lies. To play with her. To satisfy my darker appetites.
When she buckles beneath my belt, I’ll send her away.
Unless I buckle first.

BUCKLED

by Pam Godwin

KNOTTED was my first book by Pam Godwin and while I had some issues with it I saw the huge talent she has. So it shouldn’t come as a surprise that she knocked Buckled out of the park.

Maybe Quinn needs answers. The place she thinks she’ll find them is a ranch in Oklahoma. The owners aren’t welcoming or friendly, having secrets of their own they don’t want a journalist sniffing around on their property. Jarrett Holsten in particular is aggressive in his attempts to chase Maybe away. A fact she doesn’t appreciate since she feels an intense and unavoidable gravitation towards him.

Since his twin brother’s girlfriend was raped Jarret has done everything to protect their secrets. Law wouldn’t look kindly on Jake and his murderous revenge for those who hurt their family. Maybe’s appearance turns his world upside down though. She makes him feel things he saw between Jake and Conor, things he always wanted but never thought Jarret could have. They strike a deal and its stakes are high for both of them because one word could end everything.

Maybe and Jarret’s whirlwind romance was everything I hoped for. Jarret is a demanding, often overbearing man who puts on a good show to get Maybe to leave but the closer they become the sweeter he treats her. This is a man who falls in love only once in his lifetime and he will be ruined for every other woman when he does. I adored how he proved exactly that throughout the story. I was never worried that he would stray. The love of his life was Maybe, it was immovable and not time or space could change that.

I’m John Holsten’s son. The selfish liar. Coldblooded murderer. Ruthless lover. But she makes me want to be the right man. Selfless. Vulnerable. Buckled on my knees beneath the trust in her huge blue eyes. She makes me want to be the man deserving of that precious trust.

Maybe was so lovable. Her clever brain, her sass, her smart retorts and her backbone had me head over heels in love with her right from the start. She was strong but could let herself be weak with the man who got under her skin so fast. But that went both ways because Jarret was enchanted by this stubborn woman who stood up for herself and had such a tender heart, who challenges him and makes him eat his words.

Their connection is so obvious and tangible and even when things get tough between them it never fades. I had a rough time when their secrets came crashing down on them. The anxiety I felt was gut wrenching because I wanted them to be whole and good again. They both were so broken through this time and I just wanted them to heal.

Let me take part in your pain, walk with you, sit with you, watch over you, something, anything… Just… let me join you in the hurt.”

I admit that there is some insta-lust which turns into love very fast and this may sound as a contradiction but it was still a slower burn than I expected. And oh, was it delicious. Their hate-lust in the beginning was only the build-up to the explosive and incinerating chemistry they’d have once they’d give into their strong attraction. Oh Lordy, that mixed with their hilarious and smart banter made their interactions completely addictive.

“You have a killer body, but you need a better workout routine for that mouth. I have something that’ll help with that.” “What? A big dick? Too bad you have more of that in your personality than you do in your pants.”

Pam Godwin is becoming a favorite fast. Her captivating writing style had me read through this book in record time. I just couldn’t put it down. Lorne’s story is being set up in Buckled and I’m already salivating to get Booted in my hands!

She pushes her hands against my back, probably watching her car fade into the darkness behind us. “Where are you taking me?” “To my office.” “I can walk there on my own. Put me down.” “No can do, sweetheart.” “This is bullshit.” “What you’re smelling is horse shit. The bulls are in the west pasture.” She makes a frustrated sound in her throat. “How the fuck are you the sperm that won?” “I can explain it to you, but I can’t understand it for you.” “I really wish I had more middle fingers right now.

About Pam Godwin

New York Times and USA Today Bestselling author, Pam Godwin, lives in the Midwest with her husband, their two children, and a foulmouthed parrot. When she ran away, she traveled fourteen countries across five continents, attended three universities, and married the vocalist of her favorite rock band.

Java, tobacco, and dark romance novels are her favorite indulgences, and might be considered more unhealthy than her aversion to sleeping, eating meat, and dolls with blinking eyes.